Want to make your home more comfortable but need something easy with fast results? Here are five quick and easy things you can do.
Actually, there are fifteen, because what you can do depends very much on the state of your home. Pick the list that best fits the current state of your home!
List #1: If Your Home Is Messy (like, really bad)
List #2: If Your Home Is Reasonably Clean and Neat
List #3: If Your Home Is Clean and Organized (like, really good)
List 1 anchor text.
List #1: If Your Home Is Messy
Is your home pretty much a wreck? The bad news is, it’s not comfortable. The good news is there’s a lot you can do to improve it without a lot of time and effort!
If all of these things are okay, look for something similar you can do, or move on to the next list: If Your Home Is Reasonably Clean and Neat.
#1 Empty your kitchen trash. If you compost your scraps, empty them. Food scraps stink. That is uncomfortable. Getting rid of that smell is one of the quickest ways to make your home more comfortable! It looks better too. Plus, if you have an empty trash can it’s SO much easier to throw away more stuff that you find around the kitchen and other nearby rooms. Triple win!
#2 Check your bathrooms for majorly bad smells. If your bathroom stinks, there’s a good chance the toilet is the culprit, especially if you haven’t cleaned that device lately. Give the bowl a quick rub down with your toilet brush. Grab some wet paper towels (it will probably take more than one) and swipe down under the seat and any other conspicuous (and suspicious) spots on the toilet or on the floor in front of it. This will make a difference in the smell. You don’t have to do a thorough job. Even a really bad toilet cleaning is better than none at all. I’ve tried it.
#3 Make sure everyone has a comfortable place to sit. As in, remove stuff from chairs.
#4 Make sure everyone has a comfortable place to eat.
#5 Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and do a room rescue! Throw away trash. Put stuff away. If there’s stuff you don’t know what to do with, at least make it a little neater. Start with whichever room in the house is the worst, and the most uncomfortable. If you do all you can do before your time is up, move to the next room for the remainder of the time.
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List #2: If Your Home Is Reasonably Clean and Neat
Well, probably emptying the kitchen trash or quick-cleaning a toilet isn’t going to help make your home more comfortable because you already generally keep on top of those things. Here are some ideas for a home that is not a total mess (but not that great either). Also see the other two lists for more ideas, though!
#1 Give beds a check-up. Have you changed the sheets lately? If not, do it now! Especially if people have been going to bed particularly sweaty or dirty. If you’re not sure, give each bed a sniff. They should smell good. If they don’t, change the sheets! If the sheets are okay, have you washed pillows lately? Is the bedding working for the person and the season?
#2 Air out the house. If the air outside your home is fresh and clean, air out your house. Even in winter, open the windows (1-2 in each room) and set a timer for ten minutes. Just do it during the warmest part of the day!
#3 Go through your home room-by-room. Not every one in the same day, just as many as you have time for. When you walk into the room, look around and ask yourself, “What ONE thing can I do to make this room look better?” If the first thing that comes to mind is “repaint the walls,” it’s time to think smaller. 😉 It shouldn’t take more than five minutes or so. Think in terms of comfort. What will make the room more peaceful, restful, cozy, etc?
#4 Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and do a room rescue! Throw away trash. Put stuff away. If there’s stuff you don’t know what to do with, at least make it a little neater. Start with whichever room in the house is the worst, and the most uncomfortable. If you do all you can do before your time is up, move to the next room for the remainder of the time. Clutter not the problem? Do a room rescue with cleaning supplies: dust, vacuum, sweep, or clean the messiest, most annoying things for just 10-15 minutes.
#5 Be nice. As in kind, courteous, patient, and gentle. It doesn’t take any extra time at all! Loving attitudes and words may not make a home smell better, or look better, or taste better, but they sure do make it more comfortable.
List 3 anchor text.
List #3: If Your Home Is Clean and Organized
Also see list #2, tip #5. It applies to every home!
#1 Do a quick evaluation of your home. Well, not necessarily the whole thing! One room at a time, particularly more public spaces. Are you prioritizing appearance over comfort? For example, your living room may be clean, neat, and pretty, but is it actually comfortable for you family? Is it functional? While you can’t buy new furniture in the next fifteen minutes, you can become aware in fifteen minutes and that awareness can guide your future decisions.
#2 While you’re evaluating, look for little changes you could make to make the room more comfortable for your family. Is there something you can rearrange to make it a little more convenient for someone? Is the lighting good for reading in every seat or do you need to switch a couple of lamps? Are the pillows in the right places for comfort or just for looks?
#3 Hidden clutter spots. Even the most neat and organized homes usually have at least a few hidden spots (inside drawers or behind doors) that aren’t so great. In fact, sometimes the neatness is all on the surface! Either way, whether you have many hidden messes or just a few, look for something you can spend 10-15 minutes cleaning, straightening up, or de-cluttering. Some spot that is causing, or is likely to cause, someone discomfort.
Is there a dresser drawer that is a pain to open and close because it’s stuffed full? A junk drawer that you always have to dig through to find what you need? A cabinet that always makes you cringe? Take a few minutes to improve it. Keep it quick and easy, at least until you have a little more time to invest.
#4 Freshen things up. Is your decor getting dull? Change it up a little bit. Just a little. You don’t necessarily need to add anything new (certainly not BUY anything new). Just rearrange something to make the home look ALIVE. Well, homes aren’t living things. 🙂 Make it look cared for.
#5 If you’re crafty in any way, make something comfy for someone in the family. This could take a bit more time, but if it’s “play time” that probably won’t matter! Do you sew? How about a new:
- Sleep mask
- Pretty (and of course, comfortable) face mask
- Pillow cover to freshen up a room
- Cozy blanket or throw
- Rice filled hot/cold pack
Whether or not any of these ideas work for you right now, I challenge you to find something quick and easy you can do to make your home more comfortable!
